Filling Public Safety Vacancies Act

This bill adds emergency funding to help communities hire and rehire career police officers through the Department of Justice’s COPS program. It sets aside $162 million for these grants for fiscal year 2025, and the money can be used until it’s all spent . Agencies that use the funds must run a background check and make sure each officer gets a psychological evaluation. The bill labels the money as emergency spending for 2025.

Key points

• Who is affected: Local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.
• What changes: $162 million in extra COPS hiring grants; required background checks and psychological evaluations for officers hired or rehired with these funds .
• When: Funding is for fiscal year 2025 and remains available until fully used; designated as emergency spending.